Writing Assessment Instructions This assignment is designed to develop critical thinking, written and visual communication, and empirical and quantitative, and social responsibility skills.  The primary focus will be to assess social responsibility.  A component of social responsibility is the ability to demonstrate intercultural competence, which is the ability to identify, compare and contrast one’s own cultural patterns with others; understand diverse cultures and effectively communicate in a variety of cultural contexts.      This assignment will require students to analyze and interpret a primary or secondary document that includes quantitative data (e.g. graphs or other visual illustrations) using sociological terminology in an essay format.  The following writing assignment is meant to help you use the concepts you have learned in this class to explore and analyze an important current issue in our society.  As you write your paper, focus your attention on how you as an individual can respond to this current issue using the sociological imagination.    After reading the assigned article, you will write an essay, 250 words minimum; using Standard English and submit electronically on eCampus.  The minimum requirements for this assignment are to: 1. Draw three main conclusions from the article; 2. Describe two important elements of data presented on the charts/graph and briefly interpret each data element; 3. Describe the ways in which this can be defined as a personal trouble or social issue.  Be sure to cite specific evidence from the article to support your position (i.e. be sure to include other cultural perspectives in addition to your own); 4. Explore how the social phenomena discussed in the article may or may not contribute to human suffering and or social disorganization (i.e. be sure to include other cultural perspectives in addition to your own); 5. Based on your exploration on prompts numbers 1-4 make three recommendations including, but not limited to: 5. A need for future research on this social phenomenon, 5. The development of new laws or public policies to address this issue 5. Relevant programs to assist individuals and groups regarding the issue.  You are encouraged to support your argument with direct textual evidence and your sociological insights (applicable terms and concepts learned over your semester of study) Suggestions for writing your Sociology Assessment Essay Read the article “Online Socialization” Click on “SOCI Assessment” tab Click on “Online Socializing” attachment to open article. Read the questions for the assignment as you are reading the article. Jot down some ideas for answers as you read the article. Divide the paper into paragraphs for each question. There should be a minimum of 5 paragraphs for this essay. Each paragraph should have several sentences. Be sure that each question is answered thoroughly. Provide specific examples or citation of sources of information quoted, if ne.

1. Writing Assessment Instructions
This assignment is designed to develop critical thinking, written
and visual communication, and empirical and quantitative, and
social responsibility skills. The primary focus will be to assess
social responsibility. A component of social responsibility is
the ability to demonstrate intercultural competence, which is the
ability to identify, compare and contrast one’s own cultural
patterns with others; understand diverse cultures and effectively
communicate in a variety of cultural contexts.
This assignment will require students to analyze and interpret a
primary or secondary document that includes quantitative data
(e.g. graphs or other visual illustrations) using sociological
terminology in an essay format. The following writing
assignment is meant to help you use the concepts you have
learned in this class to explore and analyze an important current
issue in our society. As you write your paper, focus your
attention on how you as an individual can respond to this
current issue using the sociological imagination.
After reading the assigned article, you will write an essay, 250
words minimum; using Standard English and submit
electronically on eCampus. The minimum requirements for this
assignment are to:
1. Draw three main conclusions from the article;
2. Describe two important elements of data presented on the
charts/graph and briefly interpret each data element;
3. Describe the ways in which this can be defined as a personal
trouble or social issue. Be sure to cite specific evidence from
the article to support your position (i.e. be sure to include other
cultural perspectives in addition to your own);
4. Explore how the social phenomena discussed in the article
may or may not contribute to human suffering and or social

2. disorganization (i.e. be sure to include other cultural
perspectives in addition to your own);
5. Based on your exploration on prompts numbers 1-4 make
three recommendations including, but not limited to:
5. A need for future research on this social phenomenon,
5. The development of new laws or public policies to address
this issue
5. Relevant programs to assist individuals and groups regarding
the issue.
You are encouraged to support your argument with direct
textual evidence and your sociological insights (applicable
terms and concepts learned over your semester of study)
Suggestions for writing your Sociology Assessment Essay
Read the article “Online Socialization”
Click on “SOCI Assessment” tab
Click on “Online Socializing” attachment to open article.
Read the questions for the assignment as you are reading the
article.
Jot down some ideas for answers as you read the article.
Divide the paper into paragraphs for each question.
There should be a minimum of 5 paragraphs for this essay.
Each paragraph should have several sentences.
Be sure that each question is answered thoroughly.

3. Provide specific examples or citation of sources of information
quoted, if necessary.
Paragraph 1: Draw three main conclusions from the article.
State which points that you think are the three main conclusions
that you have drawn from the article.
Number each conclusion. For example:
The three main conclusions drawn from the article are:
1.
2.
3.
Paragraph 2: Describe two important elements of data
presented on the charts/graph and briefly interpret what is
revealed by the data on the chart
Be specific in your answers. What does the chart say about the
usage of social networking tools?
Who was being studied? What are the specific age groups being
studied?
State the percentages of those in each age group for each
category and the findings reported.
Summarize the findings.
3. Describe the ways in which this social phenomena can be

4. defined as a personal trouble or social issue.
Give specific examples of personal troubles and social issues
related to social media.
Identify which are considered personal troubles and which are
considered social issues.
Be sure to cite specific evidence from the article to support your
position.
You can add some examples from personal research or
experience, but be sure to include more than your own
perspective.
4. Explore how the social phenomena discussed in the article
may or may not contribute to human suffering and or social
disorganization.
Give specific examples of human suffering or social
disorganization related to social media.
Identify which examples are for human suffering and which are
examples of social disorganization.
Be sure to cite specific evidence from the article to support your
position
You can add some examples from personal experience, research,
or in recent news, but be sure to include more than your own
perspective.
5. Based on your exploration on prompts numbers 1-4 make
three recommendations
Including but not limited to:
The need for future research on this social phenomenon,

5. The development of new laws or public policies to address this
issue or
Relevant programs to assist individuals and groups regarding
the issue.
Paragraph 5 continued
List or number your recommendations.
Be sure to include institutional / structural / organizational
recommendations.
Name the institutions / organizations which would be
responsible for implementing your recommendations.
Check to see if there are any organizations that are doing the
things you recommend and list them.
Proofread your paper
Check for spelling and grammatical errors.
Do not use abbreviations or contractions in a formal paper.
1 point will be deducted from each paragraph with these errors.
Check to make sure that all questions are thoroughly answered
in each paragraph.
Check to see if the paper would make sense if you knew nothing
about the subject and had not read the article.
Social Responsibility
Remember that the primary focus this academic year will be to
assess Social Responsibility. The components of Social

6. Responsibility are the ability to demonstrate:
Intercultural Competence, which is the ability to identify,
compare and contrast one’s own cultural patterns with others;
understand diverse cultures and effectively communicate in a
variety of cultural contexts.
Knowledge of Civic Responsibility and Engagement with
Communities.
Definitions
Intercultural Competence -includes knowledge of one’s own
culture and how it has shaped one’s world view, knowledge of
significant characteristics of other cultures, the ability to
compare and contrast different cultures and the ability to adjust
one’s actions to successfully interact with someone from
another culture. Culture includes history, values, politics,
economics, communication styles, beliefs and practices.
Knowledge of Civic Responsibility and Engagement with
Communities – includes active participation in the public life of
a regional, national, and/or global community in an informed,
committed, and constructive manner, with a focus on common
good.
12
Social Responsibility Rubric:
Intercultural Competence:
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY RUBRIC

7. 0 = Does not discuss how one’s own culture has shaped one’s
identity and world view.
1 = Discusses how one’s own culture has shaped one’s identity
and world view.
2 = Achieves a score of 1 and discusses significant
characteristics about other cultures.
Knowledge of Civic Responsibility, and Engagement with
Communities (local, regional, national, or global.)
0 = Does not recognize one’s civic responsibility to a
community.
1 = Recognizes and discusses one’s civic responsibility to a
specific community.
2 = Achieves a score of 1, and discusses actions one should take
as a citizen to address the pertinent issues within one’s
community.
Do not commit
WORD CRIMES
in your essay!